Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner What do you think is an good chopin etude to start off with?

If you were thinking about playing op. 10 no.3 maybe you could try Ravel's pavane for a dead princess first. I was working on it yesterday and it has some surprising similarities. Try them both out and you will see what I mean. The pavane also requires splitting one hand into two different playing styles. (did that make sense?)

Give the Pavane and whirl and then try the op. 10 no.3. You will have an easier time with the balance and the voicing.

Maybe Etude op. 10 no. 6, what do you think?

I'm lucky if I can spare 3 hours a week on classical pieces.

Maybe by some people, but it's not common.

It's taken me almost 10 months to learn the Liszt sonata (just the notes!!), and it's because I've been busy with other repertoire, performances, and more importantly..being a full time student for 8 months of the year, no piano for a month, and now working full time. Though I've gotten Kapustin's Variations pretty quickly - mostly done after 3 weeks or so.

Yes but the Liszt sonata is a very long, hard piece. Doesn't it take like 30-40 min to perform??? I just couldn't imagine spending lets say 10 months to a year on a 2 min Chopin etude. I'd go nuts!

My first Chopin Etude was op. 25 No. 2 . I definitely recommend it as an appropriate Etude to start off with.

You can also start with a slow Etude - op. 10 No. 6 or op. 25 no. 7 - but keep in mind that these pieces are challenging from a musical point of view - they require a great sensitivity and an excellent control of the sound quality (to mention only a couple of requirements .

The Etude you mentioned - op. 10 no. 9 - is much more difficult than these ones.

However, keep in mind that no matter what Etude you play, no matter how difficult it is from a technical point of view, the hardest part remains achieving a flowing expression and a beautiful, poetic sound - after all, this is what Chopin is all about!

The Pavanne has legato and staccato simultaneously in the RH but not the Etude as far as I can see.

I started with Op. 25, No. 2, then did Op. 10, No.3, followed by Op. 25, No.1 and Op. 10, No. 12. Now working on Op. 10, No.5 and Op. 25, No.12.

It is not written into the etude but you do play in the same fashion- maybe more of a light touch than staccato though in the right hand.

When I was learning how to divide my hand, I played staccato and legato in my RH and staccato LH. Then when I was ready to add pedal, I just played with a light touch rather than staccato.

Quite impossible to advise, since we know nothing of your abilities.

I don't think there's anything to indicate the lower voice in the right hand should be played staccato. Much softer(if that's what you mean by lighter)than the melody, but not detatched. I don't think it makes particularly much sense to practice it that way either.'

Have you considered starting with one of the etudes from Trois nouvelles études? They are quite a bit easier than the Op. 10 or Op. 25 etudes. My first etude was No. 2 in A-flat Major from Trois nouvelles études , and it is quite manageable once you get the cross-rhythms down. Op. 25 No. 7 is also a good etude to start with, although it does have several tricky left hand runs.

I meant common as in slang. Like common talk. I use words in equivocal ways

Thanks for wording that better . It should not be played detached but before I did try playing detached without pedal I had such a difficult time bringing out the melody and softening the other voices. If you actually try to play it you will understand what I mean.

Best,

Ok -- that works.

Do you use the nicknames for etudes more than you use the word "equivocal"?